1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to swimming pools and in particular to a swimming pool with a minimal height deck inner edge at the shoreline.
2. State of the Art
Swimming pools are in popular use in residential and park installations. Residential swimming pools are often constructed to add beauty and art to the landscaping, as well as to provide recreational swimming opportunities. Swimming pools often have a swimming pool deck which surrounds the outer edges of the swimming pool. Traditional swimming pool construction has the swimming pool deck sloping away from the swimming pool. Water which lands on the swimming pool deck runs away from the swimming pool in this type of traditional swimming pool deck. At the shoreline, also known as the water's edge or deck inner edge, the swimming pool deck usually rises about 6 inches above the water line. The deck inner edge in this type of construction is the high point for the pool deck. The pool deck has a downslope gradient which has a low point at the deck outer edge, the edge away from the pool. This type of pool construction is conventional, functional, and cost effective. However, the “deep” deck inner edge—a deck inner edge with a height of around 6″ or more above the water line—retracts from the beauty of the pool. In addition, the height of the deck inner edge above the water line makes it difficult for swimmers to get into and out of the pool. Therefore, it is desirable to have a pool in which the pool deck transitions into the pool water with a minimally obtrusive and minimal height pool deck inner edge.
The elegant look of a zero-edge pool, or infinity pool, has become popular in higher-end pool construction. In an infinity or zero-edge pool, the water runs over the edge of the pool shell at the water's edge. This makes the pool look like it has no pool edge. Water continually runs over the pool edge, and is collected by a gutter or other water feature and is then recirculated through the filter system and back into the pool. The look of this type of pool is very elegant and appealing. But it is costly to build and maintain. Thus there is a need for a minimal edge swimming pool which has the aesthetic beauty of a zero-edge pool without the installation and maintenance cost.